Gratitude
by PRBooklover711
Summary: Yet another Fic about that Captain Swan moment in 3x05. I do not own any plot or characters to do with Once Upon A Time


**Gratitude**

Emma took the flask from her mother with a simple "To Hook," before she took a swig (not wincing like the rest of her companions at the strength of the beverage trickling down her throat) and turned to walk slightly further into the jungle, away from the group.

Killian stayed near, but purposefully didn't pay any (outward) attention to her until she began to speak again. He really did spend too much time staring at that infuriatingly attractive woman, but for once he didn't want the attention his gaze so often drew, not used to being praised or thanked, especially not from the man who hours before had been threatening him and calling him "pirate" like it was the worst insult he could imagine.

"Did you really save his life?" Emma asked, turning back towards him.

Killian reluctantly moved to face her, not sure what was going to come out of Emma's mouth next, gratitude, or anger. Nor was he sure which would be easier to take. Still he replied anyway. "That surprise you?" he returned, fully expecting her answer to be yes, it did surprise her because he was nothing but a selfish pirate.

"Well, you and David aren't exactly - how do you say it?- 'mates'." Emma handed him back his flask, but barely made eye contact with him until she gave a poor imitation of his voice at the end.

"Doesn't mean I'd leave your father to perish on this island." Killian finally looked at her, only for her to read the slight hurt in his eyes that she could think such a thing of him.

Reading that hurt in Killian's eyes, Emma tried to keep her face as open and readable as he always claimed it to be, so that he could see her genuine gratitude of his actions when she simply replied "Thank you."

Killian looked away, slightly sheepish, rubbing behind his right ear, his telltale tic that he was nervous or uncomfortable.

But then it was like a switch had flipped in his brain and he was suddenly the far more flirtatious Killian that Emma had come to know (and if she was being honest with herself, really like). His embarrassed sigh got drawn out into a "Well…" as he moved from staring at the forest floor to slowly bringing his eyes up to meet hers once more.

"Perhaps gratitude is in order now," he murmured, giving a (not so) subtle tap to his lips and slowly starting to break out into his signature smirk.

Emma gave a slightly disbelieving smile in return, accompanied by "Yeah, that's what the thank you was for."

"Hmm. Is that all your father's life is worth to you?" a full on smile had made its way onto his face and he stepped closer to Emma, feeling confident now that he was back on familiar ground, flirting with his Swan, the woman who had managed to entrance him without ever trying and who bested him time after time.

"Please. You couldn't handle it." She scoffed.

She only let herself slip for a moment and glance at his lips, but it was enough that Killian was aware, and was pleasantly surprised to see that he might be getting to her after all. It was in the moment that she brought he eyes back level with his though, that she realised her mistake. She had just issued one Killian Jones with a challenge. And as he kept reminding her, if there was one thing he loved more than flirting, it was a challenge.

"Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it!" he replied swiftly, accentuating his accent at the end. He too had registered the challenge, and gave her one right back. It was in that moment that he knew he had her trapped, for Emma Swan was not one to back away from a challenge either.

Now it was time to see what was stronger, her inability to back down from a challenge, or her stubbornness to admit that there could be anything between the two of them.

He could see the calculating look sweep over her face before she apparently came to her decision and reached out to him, her hands grasping at his coat lapels, dragging him in towards her and meeting his lips with her own.

Now Emma had fully intended to just take him by surprise, give him a quick kiss and turn away triumphant, proving that he indeed could not take it.

In reality however, he responded to her eagerly and her plan flew straight back out of her mind. It was like he wiped away everything other than the feeling of his lips on hers, blocking out the world for a while and making her forget that anyone could turn the corner and find them at any time.

He pulled her even closer and deepened the kiss when she carded her fingers through the soft hair at the back of his head that she had secretly been longing to touch for a while now. He leaned in and followed her when she went to break the kiss, refusing to let her get away so soon, and held the back of her head, keeping her right where he wanted her.

They broke apart slightly, only to immediately dive straight back in, their mouths slightly more open to exploration by the other as their breaths mingled in the air.

She finally pulled away from him enough to stop kissing, but kept him close to her, foreheads touching and her hands desperately grasping at his jacket as she tried to get her breathing back under control.

Killian was completely enraptured by her, and if he'd thought he had it bad for her before, it was nothing compared to his feelings now. Now that he knew what it was to feel her soft lips against his own. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before and something he never wanted to stop feeling. "That was…" he whispered, leaning in to kiss her again, hoping to convey just what he felt.

Instead it was as if he had been doused with cold water when she leaned back and stepped away from him, quipping "A one time thing."

Emma turned and walked away from him and away from their camp, needing some time alone to process what had just happened. She merely gave him a gentle warning as she left, not even turning to look at him. "Don't follow me. Wait five minutes - go get some firewood or something." She tried to keep her voice even and not give anything away as she left on legs that felt like they'd been turned to jelly.

But she couldn't help the small smile on her face as he replied "As you wish," a small part of her wishing he knew what that meant to anyone who had seen 'The Princess Bride' growing up.

Once he knew Emma wasn't going to see him, he raised his hand to his lips, letting out a gentle exhalation as they still tingled from her touch. He had to admit to one thing, she had been right; he couldn't handle it. He didn't think he could stand to let it remain only a 'one time thing'. He hoped to find a way to slowly break down her walls until she could trust him enough to be with him.

Meanwhile Emma was wandering through the Neverland jungle, not straying too far, but just needing some time to get herself under control again. That damned pirate had been right; she couldn't handle it, but hadn't wanted him to know that. Thats why she had said something stupid and defensive and got out of there as quickly as possible before she said screw it all and wound up in his arms again. But she couldn't bring herself to regret it. After all, it wasn't that she didn't trust Killian - where it came to her he'd proven himself to be a good man, and invaluable on this trip - but she didn't trust herself not to fall for him. Life had shown her far too many times that love was a weakness and that was something she couldn't afford. Certainly not right now on this hellish island, and probably not ever. She was fooling herself and she knew it, but sometimes it was easier to cling to her armour than even contemplate how much the world could hurt her without it on.

The pair (separately) came to the conclusion that they should pretend that the kiss never happened, but unbeknownst to the other they wound up with that moment playing through their heads over and over again.

They kept up their flirting and friendly banter so that nobody suspected anything had changed between them, but it could only be a matter of time before one of them snapped and kissed the other again. In some ways though, that made it all the more thrilling, because they knew another moment was inevitable, but there was no need to rush to it. Besides, Henry was still the number one priority. Their relationship could always be sorted out when they got back home. For now why not just enjoy the buildup of tension and the occasional bouts of passion when it all became too much.


End file.
